Device for fluid supply

ABSTRACT

In a fluid supply system of the type having an electric motor actuating either a pump or a valve controlling the flow of fluid, there is provided a flexible conduit portion cooperating with a preloaded lever, which at occurance of a pressure-alteration, brought about at the opening of one or more draw-off valves in the system, will energize the motor to actuate said pump or valve. Hereby the manual activity at drawing off fluid is considerably reduced and the operating time for the motor can be kept substantially to correspond to the time for drawing off.

United States Patent 91 Korhonen-We sala v Aug. 28, 1973 DEVICE FOR FLUID SUPPLY [76] Inventor: Velkko Olavi Korbonen-Wenla, Box

217, 450 60 Fargelanda, Sweden 22 Filed: May 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 253,870

[52 user. 137/802, 251/4 51 in. CI. ..Fl6g 51/00 58 FieldoiSearch 251/6, 7,5,4, 8;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1951 Jaseph 60/434 X l2/l97l Henry 60/434 X Primary Examiner-Henry T. Klinksiek Assistant Examiner-Robert J. Miller Attorney-John C. Holman, Marvin R. Sterltet a].

[ ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures IIIII'IIII'IIIIII'IIIIII'II PATENTEU M1628 I915 SHEEI 2 0F 2 I r/I'IIIIIJIIIIIIIIIIIII FIG I'll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!III IIIIIIIIIIIIII i IIIllIlllllIIIlIlIIIIIl/IIIIII VIII[III/III,IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 7I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII l I I I I I I I I I I I I1111111111111!!![Ill/1111A 1 .nsvlcs ron sum) sunny BACKGROUNDQF THEINVENTIQN The present invention refers to a deviceyforfluidsupplytqimprising a pump or a stop valve being connected in asupply conduit and actuated by amotor.

Thede vice is particularly advantageousat fluid supplysystems oftemporaryormobil natureand an example otf aconvenient fittingis the water supplysystem of 'a caravan. The use ofthe device is-however.not;limi ted to.this.field,.but the device may be fitted inmost .types of fluid supply systems.

SUMMARY O THE INVENTION The purpose of the invcntionis to provide a device 1 v was wh th anu a t vi y-at w ng fluid ou f th s st m is redu d t a mi mum a 'fl same time as theoperating time for the motor is reduced sub.- stantially to exact correspondance vto the time for drawingoff. The device according to the invention is mainly,

h t r ed the b tha t Pump r t e st p salve ns i ihthe pp yso du t i a sn sdm e s i ted BRIEF DESCRIPTIQN .or THE DRAWINGS IQS- 1 an Z hsw in h ma i snn ct sm sy "is d vis cwsii s to th e tion i osed a d open positions resp.

IGS- 3 a 4 he mo i s t o o h devise crd ns ts he nve tion in ma on-s po d g t FIGS. 1 and 2 resp'.

F'Q- a this! sm pd 'msm of h in en ion in closed position.

IG- 6. llu t a s a u t r e im t a cbrd ng to t e in nt n n oss P s ti n- ,F Q 7 and 8 h w in de d d Op n. p i ions mma detail from the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2, and

'FIQ 9 and. 1 i l s ate s hs qt ca y in co ep n iews corr p nding deta s o h odiaccording to FIGS. 3 to 6.

v s sw'r o or THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 2 a supply conduit 1 is provided with thus starts at the same time as the flexible portion 4 of the supply conduit 1 is opened, and the pump 3 driven 'by the motor hereby delivers fluid to a draw-off position 9. As soon as the external pressure on part 6' of member 55 ceases the fluid passage through the conduit is cut off, due to the fact that the member 5, compresses the flexible portion 4 of the conduit, and simultaneously is the power supply to the motor 2 disconnected whereby the pump 3 stops.

The constructional design of the device at the embodirnent according to FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponds mainly to that of FIGS. 1 and 2. The springy member is however not designed as a draw-off valve, but the draw-off position 9 in this embodiment is provided with adraw-ofi valve 10 of conventional design. As can be seen in FIG. 3 it is also possible to connect several draw-off positions 9 to the same conduit. In this case the springy member 5 has no part for external actuation,but the member is instead preloaded sufiiciently to deform the surface of the flexible conduit portion 4 somewhat, when one or more of the draw-off valves 10 are opened and fluid is allowed freely to flow through the system. The switch 7 cooperating with the member .5 in this position closes the power supply circuit 8 for the pump motor 2, whereby the pump 3 starts the transport of fluid through the system. When all the draw-off a P im 3, w i h s som by a m or T izp y d t is pns on s n Q ons ent re tension, designed as flexible portion 4, preferably a hose. Against the flexible portion 4 of the supply conduit engages spring y member 5, which has such a preload that the. member at rest compresses the flexible conduit b ifi ti 4 ush ha flu d. P ssa e bey this Point is impossible. The. member 5 is, provided with a part 6 intended for. external, preferably manual actuation, whereby the member may be brou'ghtto move so much away from the conduit that thisdueto itsself-flexibility will, open entirely and allow maximum fluid passage. Thevspringy member 5 thus in thisembodiment acts as a draw-off valve anditsside turned away from the flexi-. ble conduit portion. 4 is adapted, at the opening. of. theconduit, simultaneously to act on a switch 7-to close an electric. circuit, 8 energizing the motor; 2 The motor '2 valves 10 again are shut, the pump during a short pe riod of time will continue to deliver fluid into the system. The pressure in the conduit I hereby is increased and the flexible portion 4 resumes its normal form against the action of member 5. The member. 5 hereby is brought to act upon the switch 7 in such a manner that this breaks the circuit 8, whereby the motor 2 and thereby also the pump 3 is stopped. When one or more of the draw-off valves 10 the next time are opened the pressure in the conduit portion 4 will be reduced so much that the member 5 again causes the slight deformation of the conduit wall, whereby the circuit 8 again is closed and the fluid delivery is resumed.

The system according to FIG. 5 diflers from that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 thereby that the pump is replaced by 'a shutoff valve 11 being connected in the supply conduit and actuated by the motor 2. The supply conduit is in turn fed from a reservoir 12, which is under pressure. The mode of operation at this embodi ment is analogue with that described in FIGS. 3 and 4, whereby the motor 2 instead of starting and stopping a pump, due to the dislocations of the member 5, opens respQcloscs the valve 11, which delivers fluid into the system.

InFIG. 6 there is shown a further modified device according to the invention. The main parts of the device correspond entirely to the design shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. At the draw-ofl' position 9 the manually adjustable draw-off valve 10, however has been replaced by a twoway valve 13, which controls the passage to the drawoff position 9 in dependence of for instance a level indi- In FIGS. 7 and 8 there is illustrated a detail in a sche matic, partly cut side elevation of the embodiment ac? for the member and at the same time protects the y switch 7 against contaminations and external damage. When the external part 6 of the member, as shown in FIG. 7 is unactuated the member is pressed by its own preload so hard against the upper portion of the housing 16, that the flexible portion 4 of the conduit, which is located therebetween, is compressed in such a high degree that fluid may not pass therethrough. The side of the member 5 turned away from the portion 4 in this position is located so far away from a contact tounge being part of the switch 7 that this due to its own flexibility maintains the electric circuit, being part of the device, in a non-conducting position. When fluid delivery is wanted the external part 6 of the member 5 is pressed downwards as shown in FIG. 8 whereby the portion of the member 5 engaging the flexible conduit portion 4 is removed so much from the conduit that this due to its own flexibility is opened. As the springy member 5 so is exerted to a dislocation, its side turned away from the conduit will press down the contact tounge against the contactor cooperating therewith and the power supply circuit is closed and the fluid delivery is started.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show in elevations corresponding to FIGS. 7 and 8 corresponding details at embodiments according to FIGS. 3-6. The flexibile conduit portion 4 in FIG. 9 when the draw-off position is blocked is exerted to such a high internal pressure that the member 5, which is designed as a flexing tounge and is connected in the housing 16, may not deform the wall of the conduit. Hereby the end of the member 5, which is designed as a part of the switch 7, is located at a distance from its cooperatingcontactor, whereby the electric circuit 8 energizing the motor 2 is in nonconducting state. When the pressure in the flexible portion 4 of the conduit is reduced, due to the fact that the draw-off device isopened, the member 5 due to its preload can deform the conduit somewhat, whereby the member makes a short movement, which is sufficient to close the switch 7 to the electric circuit 8 of the motor 2, whereby fluid delivery is started and continues until the draw-off device again is shut. By means of the thus described device there is provided a simple and reliable system for fluid supply, and the invention is of course not limited to the modifications in the described embodiments but the device may be modified in several ways within the scope of following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A device for fluid supply comprising a pump or a stop valve being connected in a supply conduit and actuated by a motor, wherein the pump or the stop valve connected in the supply conduit is adapted to be shifted due to a dislocation of a springy member pressing against a flexible portion of the conduit, which springy member is adapted to switch on and off a power supply circuit of the motor actuating the pump or the stop valve resp., said dislocation being effected by shifting a draw-ofl' valve connected in the conduit.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the member pressing against the flexible portion of the conduit is preloaded and designed at rest to compress the condit so much that the fluid passage is blocked, the member being designed as a draw-off valve, which is adapted due to external actuation to be removed from the conduit so much that this due to its self-flexibility again will open, and that the member is adapted during its dislocation to actuate a switch in the power supply circuit of the motor.

3. A device according to claim 1, in which the member engaging the flexible conduit is actuated by the fluid pressure prevailing in the conduit and that the spring pressure by which the member acts on the conduit is so chosen that the cross-sectional area of the conduit is only slightly reduced when fluid is drawn off, saidmember being designed to actuate a switch in the power supply circuit of the motor by its dislocation due to alternations in the pressure in the flexible portion of the conduit when the position of the draw-off valve is shifted.

I i i 1 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEV I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Dated August 28,- 1973 Patent N 3754575 Invent -(s) Veikko Olavi Korhonen-Wesala It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

[ 30] Foreigh Priority Data Swederi No. 6348/71 May 17,, 1971 Signed and sealed 7 this 9th day of April 197A.

(SEAL Attest:

EDWARD M .FLET CHER JR, I c MARSHALL DANN- Attesting Officer- Commissioner of Patents I u'scoMM-oc 60376-P69 ,U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING-OFFICE "SI 0-806-334,

FORM PO-1050 (10-69) 

1. A device for fluid supply comprising a pump or a stop valve being connected in a supply conduit and actuated by a motor, wherein the pump or the stop valve connected in the supply conduit is adapted to be shifted due to a dislocation of a springy member pressing against a flexible portion of the conduit, which springy member is adapted to switch on and off a power supply circuit of the motor actuating the pump or the stop valve resp., said dislocation being effected by shifting a drawoff valve connected in the conduit.
 2. A device according to claim 1, in which the member pressing against the flexible portion of the conduit is preloaded and designed at rest to compress the condit so much that the fluid passage is blocked, the member being designed as a draw-off valve, which is adapted due to external actuation to be removed from the conduit so much that this due to its self-flexibility again will open, and that the member is adapted during its dislocation to actuate a switch in the power supply circuit of the motor.
 3. A device according to claim 1, in which the member engaging the flexible conduit is actuated by the fluid pressure prevailing in the conduit and that the spring pressure by which the member acts on the conduit is so chosen that the cross-sectional area of the conduit is only slightly reduced when fluid is drawn off, said member being designed to actuate a switch in the power supply circuit of the motor by its dislocation due to alternations in the pressure in the flexible portion of the conduit when the position of the draw-off valve is shifted. 